Young Muslims In America

alameen wa salatu salam ala hotter than Viagra mousseline Seder Muhammad Ali he wasapi edge my people back. My beloved brothers and sisters of salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah.

Alhamdulillah. This session that we're having is is an extraordinary session, in that it falls in between a very rigorous program that we established for this weekend here in Miami. But we wanted to spend some time with you, that the youth and the leadership, especially for Mina,

to try to have an informal session to discuss some of the issues in a practical sense that you are facing in organizing and trying to facilitate programs for the youth. And I want to be very straightforward with you. And you've heard many times how I will begin with this verse, which is very important to me. That Allah subhanaw taala tells us our will to be let him in the shaytani regime. Yeah, you have ladina mana taco la kulu colon sadita. You select la Malecon young fella, come do nuber comb, woman UT la hora Sula, who pocket phazzer fosun. Altima, O you who believe have the consciousness of Allah and speak a straightforward word, he would repair your deeds, and forgive

your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has surely gained a mighty trial. And so in this spirit, I want to be very open with you. And very straightforward. Alhamdulillah, I've had the opportunity to spend many hours with the youth, not only in the Toronto area, and Canada, but in New York, in Minnesota, and California, in different parts of North America and the Caribbean, and also in England.

And I believe that the changes that the youth are going through are some of the most critical changes facing the Muslim community, and that the future of Islam lies with the youth. It is the young people, especially the young adults, who have to take over the leadership in the Muslim community in the next 10 to 20 years. These are times where we will be seeing great changes and the great scholars of Islam have informed us that the minus signs of the Day of Resurrection, Allah matters so

that all of these signs have been fulfilled. And we are waiting for the major signs of the Day of Resurrection.

And so within this time period, we can see that even our own concept of 24 hours in a day, or seven days in a week, or concept of a year, even this is changing, because time is moving so rapidly, that if you look at the beginning of the summer, even this summer, it's gone so quickly. I mean, everything is moving very rapidly. And this is one of the signs of the coming of gamma resurrection.

And so young people today are growing up quickly.

And children at the age of five and six, because of what is happening in the media, because of the great social changes are now witnessing

acts of murder of violence, and also becoming familiar with sexual terminology, that in the past, youth did not come close to these terms until they were teenagers, sometimes adults, but now at five years old. They're having discussions that used to be discussions for adults. homosexuality,

becoming mainstream and normalized in society has changed the relationship of men and women. It's changed the terminologies that we use. So even when the President is involved in you know, low acts in the White House shameful acts in the White House, and it goes over the internet. Everybody in the world is reading this in many of the Western countries in France, in parts of Canada. Their response to that was is and was what is wrong with you people? What is he doing strange, there's nothing wrong with this. And when the President of France

recently died, his mistress attended the funeral. Everybody in the country knew that he had his regular wife, and he had his underground mystery that was not strange in France. So they said like what's wrong with you what he's doing in the White House. He's an average guy that acts like what Clinton was involved in. They were considered to be regular things. So for Muslims Now, coming with

Pure way of life, wanting to go back to the ways of the prophets. And we are now dealing in a very serious situation. We're to try to be a normal Muslim. in this society is an extreme act.

It's almost to a certain extent or appears to be like somebody wanting to live in a monastery, wanting to totally separate themselves from the society. So socially,

we are in an apocalypse, and the Prophet peace be upon him said Mahabharata and five Shafi Coleman cut, er mellow Bihar alania illa, Zahara de matar, well Ojha, Allah t lambda Confucius Levy, whenever sexual immorality appears amongst the people. And they do it openly.

They will also appear amongst them diseases and famine that never appeared in the previous generation. And so incurable diseases moving in the society, and there's more of them coming, we've only seen the tip of the iceberg

because of what is happening now. This is what ddddd social changes.

We are in a very critical situation. And as I was speaking to the brothers coming in, the hurricane hitting Key West is no accident with the homosexual population. And we recently had had an earthquake in Toronto.

It was 5.2 on the Richter scale, in New York and coming to Toronto, we sort of got the edge of it, but building shook, and those who understand the changes in the earth and what is going on, we realized that it's overdue, actually, because we had the second largest demonstration on gay pride day in North America 750,000.

And so it's long overdue for us, and we're expecting a major quake to strike out area.

On the economic scene, those of you who study the economy of the world, the communist system, when Marx and Engels and the communists, theoreticians studied the economic situation of the world, they recognized that the capitalist system would be falling apart. And so they organize the socialist communist alternative. And they tried their experiment in the Soviet Union, exported it to other countries.

But because of the resistance of capitalism and its allies, they were able to break down the capitalist were able to break down the communist system. And even countries like Cuba that became strongholds of socialism, are now moving rapidly toward the communists, the capitalist bloc, but as Ingles Marx and Engels knew, and those who understood the cycle, cyclic, the cyclical nature of the capitalist system, we are about to go into a major recession. And if you go to the CNN, go to any international news agency, and you'll see that the economies of the world all now shattered, the trembling, all in most of the monies in the world have been devalued. Even the Canadian dollar,

which is a fairly stable dollar, this year has gone through tremendous changes, they broke the record for the for the low, for going low, they broke it about 20 times. They should this is Canada, which is a stable country, and right in North America, and assisted to the United States. And so we are in crisis, the US dollar, which is leading the world and holding up the world doesn't represent real gold. It's only a trick.

The Americans are the United States government has the greatest debt of any nation on Earth. That sounds crazy. Because everybody wants us dollars, but this is the greatest debtor nation in the world. So when all that comes to pass, and the reality strikes, we realize that the interest system has left us all in a state of confusion.

politically.

Also, you can see the crises that are happening all over the world. And so from a number of different angles, and even in terms of the environment, with the changes going on in technology, the ozone layer being destroyed. We have suffered under El Nino, La Nina, right and all the different family members in this family.

And so there's probably other children in the family too.

And so the reality is that the environmental crisis will continue, unless the government's change their whole way the whole way that they deal with technology.

So they become environmentally friendly. But that is not. That's not wise in terms of making money. So the fast food people, and the other people who control the economies of the world will continue in corruption right to the end. In Canada, a recent study came out to show that the government's in the north, the provincial governments in the north, make most of their money through taxing individuals, personal taxes, GST and PST, they call it. But after that, they make most of their money through gambling, casinos, then through alcohol, taxing alcohol, and then through taxing tobacco. And these are all products that are known to be destructive, to the personality to the

body, to the family into the whole society. So they're making their money and sustaining their governments through corruption.

Okay, so we are really at at the at the brink of a crisis. So therefore, the the task that's in front of you, to take over the leadership of Muslims, is a very sacred one and a very serious one. And

I want to say this to you, not to frighten you and to make you run away, and just give it all up. But to realize that you're in a very challenging time period. And that requires knowledge of the deen, we have to seriously seriously begin to study the sources of the dean. It also requires some knowledge of the dunya you can't just have the knowledge of religion, and we don't understand what's happening in the society. But above all, it requires two wild zone or balance.

This hikma What are shamima, Holly, putting things in the proper perspective, being able to apply Islam with perspective, and not getting caught up in any extreme to one direction or another. This is what has been the problem in our community, our community has been ruled over

has been ruled by people who are secular based, I don't fault them at this. In the 50s. And the 60s, when people were coming into America, and Canada, they will for the most part, coming from professional

dddd professional class doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants, and coming into America to establish their families in the 80s and the 90s. With the great crises in the Muslim world, Muslims began to come in from all different levels and societies and established communities. But the scholarship, the scholars of the Muslim world, what was left of the scholarship, had to go underground in the colonial period. In order to survive, they had to wrap Islamic scholarship and what I would call a cocoon. You know, the cocoon with the larvae wraps itself up, it goes into a type of hibernation that comes out like a butterfly. So they wrapped up Islamic scholarship in the

addresses all around the Muslim world.

And in doing this, the technological knowledge, the knowledge of the new developments in the 20th century, went into the hands of people who were secular, who gave up their religion or compromise their religion in order to make material progress. And so the most important people in the Muslim world became doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants, professional people. And if you're a doctor in Egypt, or in India or Pakistan, most of the Muslim world, you like a governor,

even though you're a medical doctor, you like a government doctor. So you're a high person. See, if you're engineer muhandis, then you're also very high person. Okay, but you have secular education.

So now the movements came and they established the Islamic centers established, and people did the best they could do. But with the changes the fall of communism, the fall of capitalism, secular system, Muslims could see that this is not the answer. So everybody said we want Islam. And they brought the molana and the Shek and the malvehy out of the madressa. And they said you lead us now.

Now this brother,

in some cases, even educated sisters, came into the communities.

Knowing the Quran knowing the Hadeeth they could break it down, they can show you the Tafseer. But if you tell them apply this to the society they lost, because they don't know what's going on. They lost, okay, and they're pushed out into the front of the leadership. Also, in many cases, and I'm saying this with all sincerity, sincerity,

With all respect for those people who have Islamic knowledge, in many countries, they also represented inferior, the inferior intellectual class. In countries like Syria up until today, it is a government policy when you take the examinations at the end of high school, the highest scoring students in the top five to 10%, all go to medical school, whether you like it or not, even if you don't like blood, you go to medical school, because you're the highest score. The next ones become engineers, lawyers, and then accountants, and finally the people who couldn't make it on the test. You go to Quran school, you go to the madressa, and you study Sharia.

And so the people who couldn't make it, the great are the ones who they send to the Quran school. Because the government is secular, and the government does not want any opposition from Islam. Now, in places like Syria in many countries, many people resisted this, and they took some of their

good children, or the most intelligent children, I should say,

put them secretly into my dresses, had them study in medical school, and they also went to madressa. At the same time, but unfortunately, it's the exception. It's not the rule. That's the unfortunate reality. So therefore, many of the scholars who are put out front and asked to to deal with complex situations don't have the capacity to do this. They don't know what you're talking about. They haven't even entered the discourse. They haven't entered the discourse. That's the problem. So so that's the reason why we're getting lopsided fatwas.

Right, unwise decisions, that counteract the dour that destroy organizations, instead of actually build Islam, and also are totally irrelevant to the native population, to the afro American population of the people who have lived in this country who are the most likely to be accepting Islam, totally irrelevant to them. Because many people come to America with the same concept of who is superior, and who is intelligent, who is educated. So somebody is not educated, even if a person is a euro, American, not educated, that person is not respected.

Okay, if the person is Afro American, or Native American, did not respect it. Because of the brainwashing Muslims went through in their own countries. So what is happening now, it's all coming around now. And I believe and I pray that your generation is the one that has lived in America to a great extent, experienced the society now realize the value of scholarship and has this opportunity now to relate to the scholarship

and know the dunya know the reality on the street on the ground level, and can begin to implement Islam in a practical way. What I represent to you is not a scholar of Islam, I'm not a Mufti.

Okay, but I am a brother who has been came from the ground level and was able to go and study in Medina and the university get through, right, I was one of the first people to go through we had to suffer to go through. Okay, now the groundwork has been laid. And other people can memorize the whole Quran memorize hundreds of deeds, and they can get it but somebody had to go through like the frontlines and suffer just to make it through. So what I represent to you is not a person who had the opportunity to grow in Islam, or to grow memorizing the Quran or the Hadith, but somebody who has a general overview of Islamic Studies, who has what they call Volk, he has the taste,

Sakaba, the general culture of Islamic Studies, but has been in the field for many years. So this is what I represent to you today. And inshallah informally we want to

have a discussion even though I sound formal, I just get that way when I cameras in front of me. But um, informally to discuss some of the problems that you are facing and sisters can express themselves without a paper doesn't matter to me. You can express yourself openly inshallah, and we can try to deal with this issue. So I want to open up the floor with that for any comments or questions that you may have concerning some of the problems that you're facing as young people practicing Islam. So the floor is open. For any discussion, please again, feel free

to discuss like I know I didn't mean to sound formal, but it's just something that happens when the camera is looking at you.

Okay, so the floor is open. First of all.

I want to know how to deal with the situation.

Where we have the is that mic on? Yeah, it's being recorded, okay. The

there is clash of cultures in terms of even relating to each other or in terms of dealing with an Islamic Center.

to, to put it in a very clear way, I am considered a kid.

Right? Because of the older people who are in the community. So

I'm not taking seriously. When I say something, or when some of these people say something, we're not taken very seriously, we're considered as those people who have no experience. Those people who really don't know much you need some more time and things like that. But but at the same, I realized that this is kind of cultural backlash, but at the same time, do we continue to go with it and lose the time for for having work done? Or how do you deal with the situation? What is? Yeah, what is a wise way of dealing? Right? Well, you know, in this question, the question basically, is dealing with the reality of our communities where the elders look at people even in their 20s, and sometimes

13, as being young.

And don't get them involved in the decision making in the community. And how do we deal with this? You know, this is a process that we're going through. It's also a process of education. Because at the time of the Prophet alayhi wa sallam, he actually involves young people in leadership. And it wasn't just symbolic either. And the example you may have heard before of

that was sama bin Zayed rhodiola one Houma, who was actually at the age of 1617, given the leadership of an army

and in the army was Abu Bakar and Omar and some of the big Sahaba. Now leadership of an army is a serious thing, because you're going to take hits, right, you taking hits, it's fighting, and fighting requires serious discipline, and serious coordination. And the Amir is the person who has the right the rule over the Gema his his his word overrules the Gema unless it's against Quran and Sunnah. So to put a young person in that position

it is a very important move that is being made, but it also shows the maturity of young people in those times and if you see the the the Abdullah Al humps, Abdullah, he's Abdullah, even Rama, Rama, even even Zubair, even Massoud

even Abbess, the five Abdullah he's, you see Fatima, you read about Ayesha, in your lobby pleased with them all, many of the difference Sahaba who were young, they were right there with the revelation coming down, they were involved.

They gave their opinions and their opinion was accepted. At the same time, it was recognized within that society, that a person doesn't really become mature until 40 years old. 40 years old, within the Arab society, it was considered to be sort of the cutoff point, if you look at all the prophets, except for East LA Salaam they receive their the revelation is 40 or over. So so 40 really is a point of maturity. And there needs to be some coordination that goes on. But sometimes we will go to one extreme or the other. There's the one extreme of youth culture where everybody's got to be young. And if you're not young, then you're out of it. Like you're not really, you know, up to par

if you're if you're if you're if you're an older person. But then there's the other culture where the older generation becomes almost like gods. And this is partly based on societies with ancestor worship. Because an ancestor worship your answer your parents who die and become the ancestors, they become the gods over you. They get a type of supernatural power over you. And in many societies, many parts of the world, they pray to the ancestors. As the ancestors have gone into the void, they've gone over over new through death, and they now have a type of supernatural power. So you'll find in some cultures, people even

bow down and kiss the shoes of their parents. I think it's parts of India, that when you meet your your elder, you kiss their feet, and parts of West Africa, you literally go down on the ground, you either bend on one knee, or in some cases, you go down like you're doing push ups, you go right down on the ground, until they tell you to get up. Okay, so so so we're coming out of this extreme cultures like that, and again, we need to get a balance. We can't wait. Unfortunately, we don't have the time to wait.

You have to be polite and respectful, but we have to make it known to the older generation that they now have to come to grips with DDD the opinion of the youth and it should be done in a straightforward way. Bring examples of the Sahaba bring it forward to

You have to challenge them, and challenge them to say like, why are you not dealing with us? In our organization, Israel, we have this one position, which is held by the youth, there's a, there's a youth group underneath our organization, and one of the positions on the board of directors has to be held by one of the youth.

It can be more, but at least one position is a chosen person chosen by the youth, and not hand picked by the adults. So it's the president's son, or the treasurer, his daughter, a son, no handpicked by the youth themselves, to represent them on the board of directors decision making power, okay, so you have to demand you have to demand it. Now, again, it's got to be done in a respectful way, but a forceful way, you have to demand and I believe that, you know, the older generation now is seeing, starting beginning to recognize the fact that they will have to depend upon the youth to make many decisions, because because the whole language in the society is

changing. And if you don't know that language, you don't know what's going on in the society, you can be lost. So really, you know, again, you have to demand in a respectful way, but you cannot sit back now. And allow yourselves to be dealt with as children, even when you're 35 years old, whatever it is, can't allow this anymore. The other questions on the sister side? anybody has a question?

Yeah,

no, go ahead.

I'm taking this class right now. And it's contract relations, and we have to deal with the UN and etc. And I was assigned the country, Iran, like my group, and then people make remarks as far as being Muslim like woman being covered as far as the veil on walking 10 feet behind the men and etc. How do I deal with that? How can I approach them nicely? And somebody some? And, you know,

well, what what you're dealing with? And again, this question asked by the sisters is that she's taking a course. And this isn't this isn't college, university, high school. And this isn't high school, she's taking a course. And you know, as a Muslim woman, she's being stereotyped is really what it is, you're being put into that corner. And what happens many times with the sisters is that when they see you in the society with a veil, they think that that veil or that scarf covers your brain doesn't just cover you here, but it covers your brain, this is what they think. And then they expect you know, the person to be totally out of it. And if you speak with an American accent, then

they really pass out, because they can't believe that you look like this. When I come into a store dressed like this and I talk they faint,

they cannot believe what is in front of them, but this is part of their education, they have been mis educated and stereotyping has been used. And you have to be very straightforward and very open challenged them. In the same way they using these terms, homophobic in the same way, like racist and other using all these terms. We have Islamophobia trying to spread this word now. Islamophobia. Okay, this is a new phobia,

you know, which is all around, it's stereotyping. You know, where they have this image of a Muslim as being first they have this exotic image, Alibaba, the 40, thieves and Aladdin. And the girls have veils and you know, but the same time the scantily dressed and it's a lecherous old Arab man's like you know, Aladdin, right? They have this thing. The other the other image is frightening terrorist, but underneath that shadow or that his job is a is an mK 47

for an ak 47 you know, a hand grenade or something like that. This is what they're thinking and then the latest thing now, which we were talking about, the other night, you they've taken it, you know, further now, there was true lies with Arnold Schwarzenegger, there was Delta Force without Chuck Norris, who was an executive decision, Steven Seagal and them okay, but now there's the seach. And this is the most serious one, because now they they want to put us in in concentration camps. And they're using the CIA, FBI and the military together to fight against Muslims in New York, and then to put people in concentration camps. So this is the most serious one. So it has to be challenged.

And you got to be very upfront and very straightforward and say, Look, let us realize first, that there is stereotyping and there is Islamophobia, challenged them

challenged. And so, you know, I bet that you have certain images of Islam, put it out there.

Now, when they want to, if they're if they're open minded, and they say okay, what is the reality? Then maybe you can even bring some tapes and we have some tapes where different speakers male and female have tried to deal with this issue of women in Islam and given rebuttals. Sister I mean, a Cilmi has got a tape which is you know, used by many people.

That that is is a good rebuttal to the whole question of women in Islam. But still, you know, you have to be very straightforward. And you know, and try to break down some of the stereotypes that they have. Because Because this is actually what is going on. Yeah.

It's shorter and easier to give to somebody, you know, they say something about the job or something. And then we'll get you can always just handle pamphlets, easy. Right, the dollar pamphlets, right, there's another good way to deal with that. We have also a videotape,

which is sound vision, I brought a couple of them with me. It's called hijaab. An act of faith. This is done by the sound vision, it's an excellent video with the testimony of sisters, and why they actually wear the hijab, it's done in a very progressive way, a modern type of photography. And, you know, if you if you're interested in that, we have that sunlight that can be shown to them, and they'll really be surprised.

Like, I'm working with a good night, and what if there's stuff that comes up that downgrades?

Do I have to like, obviously have to be like, how do I deal with that?

Okay, well, first thing, you know, anything that comes up that's downgrading a slump that you run into. First, we have to document the information. And you document the information, you know, so you have all your sources, that you have the actual original documents, so it's clearly there, then you contact, you know, the the other mineral organizations, also there is care, the care organization out of Washington, DC, as doing a lot of good work in terms of dealing with attacks on Islam. So you contact them. And you know, we actually have people now, who will move against this, it's very serious, you can bring in a speaker, somebody, you know, from the MSA is or the masjids to speak in

the class. But don't let anything go by

anything. And the same way that the Jewish students that if you if you even, you know, talk slightly against the Holocaust,

right, or anything to do with Jewish history, they document you and they go right to the anti defamation League, been a breath, whatever it is, and then they move on to legally, they'll go to the President, they'll go to the school, they'll then they'll go to the authorities, and they'll, they'll call you to account. So Muslims have to begin to do this Islamophobia. We have to spread this terminology all around. So that people will begin to get sensitive to the fact that the right wing elements in this society in the same way they've targeted native people, African American people, and other groups, even even Jewish people to a certain extent

that they're now targeting Muslims as a threat to the security or whatever. So we got to spread this Islamophobia and challenge them anytime they say anything against Islam. Okay, any other questions? Or brother? Yes, well,

I have friends at school and Muslim friends. And I mean, they're pretty, like, you know, kind of messed up, I'd like to say, they're like that. So

I'm just wondering how I could help him out, like, try and bring them back. I mean, I mean, like, that says, you know, help them out. Like, because they're, like, really way out there. They've really been like, modernize whatever is out there, like smoking weed and right, go to parties and all that type of stuff. Oh, sure. I mean, just want to know, how I can help him out? Well, you know, it's, it's a, it's a very difficult situation, you know, because the pull of the society once you get in the loop, and you're in that society's framework of thinking, you know, they provide a lot of negative alternatives, things to do, and, you know, supposedly, you know, ways of feeling good. So,

number one, it's important for the youth organizations to have alternative programming. So in other words, if you say to somebody, that it's dangerous to go to that party, because you know, you can get substance abuse, like crack cocaine, you can get addicted to crack.

You know, if you if you have a relationship, male or female, you can get HIV positive, you can become HIV positive, very possible herpes. You can show them examples of this. I have cases of Muslim Brothers, I won't say which country you come from, but the brother, you know, was without that, living that type of life, then he became an active person in the community. And then he started having problems and he went to the doctor, he's got herpes, genital herpes, and that's incurable.

And then he's asking me, can I

make my intention on this system and not tell her

and then as we're just about to get married, he will say, oh, by the way, I happen to have herpes said you can't do that.

But he's in crisis is in crisis.

So you can give a lot of good concrete examples as to what the life of the dunya does to you because people are dying now. Neptunia. We can give examples. However, if the person now opens and listens to you, you have to have an alternative program. This is why basketball programs with the brothers on Saturday, Friday.

Saturday nights, youth programs even like recreation, youth recreation, things to do active things to do. This is important because a lot of it is just based on this free time that people have and there's nothing to do in the plaza is there the disco is there whatever the party and we have in Canada bangarra you have bangarra here notice Bhangra This is indo Pakistani masala you know type music, Apache Indian and all these type of mix between rap music and you know, East Indian music. And they have been go to parties where people have an easy East Indian, indo Pakistani descent, whether they come from the Caribbean, India and Pakistan or whether they are Sikh, Muslim, Hindu,

Zoroastrian, whatever it is, they go to these bunker parties. And some of the Muslims were able to believe that they even took a Friday for Juma and they had a bunker around 12 o'clock noon, on Fridays, and that's where they were, they told the high school they were at Juma.

So we have some similar problems to this. So therefore, you know, give them the examples, talk straight language to them.

Okay, and then you have to try to provide some alternative. And it's a process, all of us are under this temptation. Nobody's free of this temptation is for everybody. It's all around, you can take the exit and go to South Beach. Right? Or you can go to another part of Miami. You go down there and you moving around amongst the people, you're in temptation. This is what has happened. But we have to have something to do.

You have to have something to do. So this really is the crisis that we're in. Okay, any other questions? Yeah.

I go there, but it's like, I don't have any bad intentions. I just want to go hang out with my friend. It's not like I'm doing anything wrong. What do you say to that?

Okay, well, I mean, we have to be realistic. I mean, this is this, this sister came to me one time we're talking about while she wanted to go to the potty. I'm gonna talk to you in straight language, right? So she wants to go to the potty. She said, but I'm not going to dance. I'm just going to go to the presser or you're going to go to the potty. So you're standing there. And somebody says, Can I have this dance? You're gonna say, Oh, no, I'm a good Muslim. And I'm just watching. You can't do that. They look at you like you're crazy or something. Like why are you here?

And then why put yourself under that temptation?

If it's a faster Ramadan, you're going to go into a restaurant with beautiful smelling food and sit around and smell the food all the time and look at it.

Right? I mean, why put put, why do we put ourselves in that temptation?

Okay, so So really, we have to be very straightforward with them. And tell them that, you know, if you're putting yourself in a temptation like this, you know, then you are endangering yourself. And the way of Islam when Allah subhanaw taala speaks about adultery, fornication, adultery, he says, while our Takara bozena in who can affair he certain wasa as a villa, don't come near adultery,

it is an abomination.

And it will destroy the whole path, everything, it will destroy your reputation, your family, your body, everything can be destroyed. So a lot didn't say don't do it, don't make commits in it, he said, Don't come near it.

Don't come near it, because it's a natural thing. To have the relationship, that's how the species continues. A lot made us like that. So so we so we keep we stay away from it, until the time when we're ready to get married. So this is the reality. So we have to let people know how dangerous it is to come close to things like that. And plus, if you go to one of these parties or dances, and somebody offers you something to drink, they have these drugs now that they these pills, they'll slip it right, which can make you high enough that you lose control yourself. And then they can manipulate you to do what they want. So there's a lot of danger in going to these type of scenes as

a Muslim. Okay, so you have to be very straightforward when when you talk to the brothers and sisters in the situation. Yeah, I think diversity is like this huge issue now talking about diversity and whatever. And then they go into like gay culture and how everyone should accept the gay culture and the people who are like, what is not hurting you let them do what they want to do. But then like, yeah, this is a good question. Yeah, this is a very, very difficult issue. Because really the whole question of Islamophobia. Now, it really has put us in a very defensive, weak type of position. And what we've tried to do is to be proactive and positive in the sense that we're

speaking for Islam. In other words, we're not attacking gays, we're not gay bashing. We're stating what we believe. And we have the right to state what we believe. Like there's no law that says that you cannot say within Islam, we don't believe in this. We believe in the marriage of a husband and a wife, man and woman. This is what we believe in. So you just keep talking like that. Because legally, you don't have to

Right, you know, to be attacking them legally and whatnot, you know, you can. There was one of the brothers recently, a good brother, he's working, he was working at Symantec. You know, he's really good in computer, programming, whatnot Symantec. So he was working there. And now he had gone to this outdoor barbecue,

which was run by the city. And it was done in the gay section of Toronto.

And so are these all these men were couples were coming weird looking. And they were doing things. And you know, so he like he, he couldn't control himself. Then so the brother arm, you know, he went to work the next day. And he was talking to some of his friends, people who we thought was his friends on the job, and saying about how he had gone to this barbecue. And he was he thought it was disgusting. What he saw like he didn't, and he couldn't stomach. what he was saying he thought it was a filthy, disgusting thing. And you say it in a very respectful way. The next day, he got called on the office.

And they said, you know, did you say do you did you say that the following terms? Did you say these words? And so he he admitted, you know, while he said, Well, this is what my religion says, you know, this is what I believe, personally. And he was fired, the next day fired. Within three days, he was off the job. And he is an excellent worker and semantic. But But he didn't know that one of the people he was talking to was gay. He didn't know.

Right, and so they move that fast. And according to the laws now, you know, it is like calling somebody a racial name. If you say this, so it puts us in a weak position. In a sense, when you're working. You're in school, however, we can state clearly what our religion what we believe in, in our religion, and we can take the strong stance, you know, you know, whenever people ask us about our own way, and you don't have to say that you agree with it.

You don't have to say that. The only thing you cannot do legally, is attack it. You're not supposed to attack. This is where they come to us. If they come within our own realm, then we will say exactly what we want to say.

Okay, some of us will go all the way out because because we don't care anymore. Like when they came to Toronto, some of them came the gays in Toronto.

were Muslims when he had to be there. They had, they were four Muslim families. And they were on the gay strip trying to get picked up. And it was racism. So the white gays only wanted white. So all the brown ones found themselves together. And they went to the gay community center, and they complained, and the government gave them a grant. And they call them a minority within a minority. And so they formed a group called min Allah. Like the Quran says holla call in Sandman, Allah, the man has been created from a blood clot. So he's talking about these things. So they formed this group. And they sent out flyers and they called it something like homeless homosexual, as they call

a gay or lesbian homosexual Islamic support group.

And they said they want new Tafseer of the story of Luke Elisa, they want new Tafseer. And they want to start their own Islamic Center a Masjid for gays,

with a gay Imam.

So they want it and they came to our community. This is how they came to the Christians to they broke the Christians down, right. But you know, the leadership took a strong stand, we took a real strong stand against an openly you know, condemned it. And, you know, said openly to the newspapers, opposition. You made it very clear, we're totally against. It's not within Islam. Then they asked, they said, what would you do? If somebody comes to your Masjid?

And he wants to be a Muslim, and he's gay. What will you do? And so I told them very clearly, I had a case of a brother who came in my office, and he cried, and he said that he was you know, he was gay. I said, like, you know, what happened to you, man? And he said, my father abused me.

I was so Muslim. Right? So I, you know, I felt sorry for the brother. And I said, Do you reckon you realize that there's something wrong with you know, psychologically because of this abuse? And he said, Yes. So we work with the brother, send him to a psychiatrist, and then work with the brother. And now he's part of the community. So this is a very crucial issue. And it requires some wisdom in the words that you use, they accuse you of homophobia.

So you have to watch your words with whoever you're with. However, you have the right to state clearly what Islam believes what it says and what you believe as a Muslim. Because even the Catholics, you know, to a certain extent, still maintain, and the Orthodox Jews still maintain a position where they don't accept it. sodomy

Gomorra loot the profit lot, or loot Elisa, those stories are clear. And the Bible was left to the Bible, it's very clear that it is an abomination.

They tried to change the text and make a new Tafseer and whatnot now, but it's very clear within the texts. Okay. Yes.

Christian groups, they say that they speak on those rallies a lot. Yeah. How come the freedom towards towards this speaking like, like going out and having protests against against gays in the community? Like, what gives them the right and not us the right to do that? Well, the Muslim should actually be involved. That's one of the things that we should be involved in. I mean, our leadership has been too timid and shy to come into or too busy fighting with each other, but which school of thought you are?

Right, or which organization you are some, you know, Petty differences are too busy with that. fighting over who controls the masjid or, you know, whatever, whose uncle is the treasurer. So they don't have time to really deal with the issues that and that's one of the issues, we should be there in a respectful way, a dignified way, opposing homosexuality. It's our right to do that. And there's some leading people, what do I think one of the Green Bay Packers some football player recently came out was his name. Right, Reggie white, he came openly with it or anything happened to him yet.

And he's still taking this position. So we can take stands like that. But it does require that we're, we are united and we're strong, and I believe we have to be united to do this. He has backing he has people in backing him.

When he definitely did this, he got some people in back in high places. Okay, now the question.

I think the the importance of being able to work with the society is usually lost among the the youth and the parents and everybody involved, because people don't think, first of all, there is this misplaced vision that we should not work with this society. One thing, that this is a coup for society, therefore anything and everything they represent is covert and wrong. And therefore we cannot participate in anything, right, which is one reason why allow you don't see a lot of Muslims working with these environmental groups or these

anti homosexual groups and things like that. And I think that it is very important that we start grooming the youth towards taking over these kinds of

organizations, whether it be political, environmental, or any, anything that is good in society. And I think that we have not, we have not realized that thing, because we don't think about 20 years ahead, what's going to happen in 20 years, and people are still afraid of politics, they're still afraid of getting involved with anything that is not coming from the masjid itself.

Because when you mentioned about the movies, the Steven Spielberg, who's one of the biggest directors in this country, his company is coming out with a movie called The Prince of Egypt, it's an animated film, The Prince of Egypt, when he invited AMC and care to come and review the movie, just to make sure that you know, everything was was fine with it. So on one hand, you have this going on. And on the other hand, you have movies like The Siege coming out. So we see that it has an effect, but not a complete one, where we have not exercised our total, our total power. It's right as as it exists. And I think, what do you think? How far do you think we need to push this as far as

well, this is really where that balance is required. You know, that grounding in knowledge, and also the, you know, the the the ability to work within the society. This is where balanced leadership is needed. And I think we should go as far as we can, before it's too late.

So that anybody who does anything, will be afraid of these organizations. That's why if you do anything about Israel or the Jews, you got to go to B'nai brith. If you don't get through B'nai brith, anti defamation League, you can forget it, man, people are afraid, they have to be afraid of us. And care is doing an excellent job. These groups do an excellent job, they should be supported strongly in standing up, you know, we have Muslims in good positions, very wealthy Muslims around

that if we support these things, and we come out openly, you know, and start to speak against this openly, then, you know, there's still time for us to stop it before it gets. It goes too far, you know, over the edge. And you know, really, we need to seize the time right now.

And any sister has a question for us.

Okay.

Organizations like care and AMC, etc. In response to Brother most of first question, but why

I want to ask because well, what can they use the average 15 year old 16 year old? What can they do? Because he's, you mentioned, you know, you have brothers who are very wealthy or helping her working with environmental agencies who are trying to get the clout that the, you know, anti defamation league or whatever has, what can they use to they're not in those positions, their sphere of influence is significantly smaller, but they have the drive, they have the desire to want to help. So what can they do? Well, the US can be involved in doing a lot of the groundwork, and, you know, doing a lot of the technical work, you know, even if they're not, you know, they don't feel they're

old enough or qualified enough. Because, for instance, in a lot of the work done by care, and the AMC requires people to be online, to have a good knowledge of the internet. And, you know, the communications, you know, and the youth has the best orientation towards this technology, it's in the youth now. So there's a lot of work that you can do, even in Toronto, some of the of the youth have, have opened up a chapter of care in Toronto, and some young people who are involved in that organization, now, we're trying to do this work. So there's a lot that you can do yourselves, using the internet using the technology, you know, which is available to in most of your homes.

And, and some of the older generations still doesn't have that ability, you know, to go online, and you know, to really move the information around. So I think that you can help like that you can encourage the older generation, you know, in these areas, and you can even bring this information to the community

where people don't know about it. Yeah.

This question was on the issue of the youth seeking knowledge, yeah. Because I've seen in many cases that

a youth, they might pick up a book, and they'll read it, and then they'll try to implement that book, not only on themselves first, but on everyone else. And in that book, there may be some ambiguities that are not clear, because most of the books, as you know, are translations, and a lot of the translations are vague, and they don't get the point across as as clearly as Arabic does.

So what can you suggest as a as an ideal way of going about seeking knowledge? So we avoid that confusion? And, and well, you know, it's, again, it's important with communication. Because as the Quran says, as those who have knowledge, if you don't know, that's an article in quantum law to the moon, so that you know, you need to be in touch with people who you consider to be balanced, to be in touch with them and ask them questions. When you come into areas, you know, that that seems to be unclear, and to be in touch with balance, balance scholarship, and get some answers to your questions.

You know, and the more knowledge that you get, the more you seek knowledge, the clearer it will become to you see, at first, even when you start learning Arabic and start getting into it, it can become really confusing, especially when you see the difference of the olema. If the level olema on an issue, you start going crazy, you think, Wow, this, like 15 positions on this one thing, what do I do, but the more you get into it, the clearer it becomes. That's the reality of it. So somebody in all the groups and every area has to go all the way, somebody's got to really study. That's why in Syria and in Egypt, and some new places, new schools that people have not traditionally gone to

brothers and sisters are leaving communities now from the youth, and going there to spend some time 5678 years, and then come back. That process is on right now.

It's still very difficult to live within Muslim countries now because of the economic crisis and social crisis and political you know, but but it's being done. Now. So the more knowledge you get in Sharla, the clearer it will become.

Yeah, yes.

All these issues about giving Dawa and Helen's issues? I think, most problems lack knowledge, like you said, What's the best way for the youth to really, you know, get deep into knowledge? Yeah, do you think it's best to go off to Syria for a summer and come back or right? Timer? Well, at least in you know, in the beginning, you can, you can begin by trying to pick up some Arabic, try to get into Arabic, even before you leave, you know, you can start learning to read the Quran properly and get basic Arabic right here. If you just put the time into it, okay. And then, like in Syria, they have a summer course. You can go for the summer course and spend three months and start to get you know,

oriented climatized you to the knowledge and then when you have a chance, a break in your studies, then you can go spend a couple years and then come back and continue the studies. But the work should start from here. You shouldn't wait until you go overseas to start to learn Arabic because sometimes you become overwhelmed.

The conditions, the attitudes, and then it's a foreign language so you can become open

Well, does it happen to many brothers who went to Medina, during my time, they were overwhelmed. And language was one of the big barriers, if you break through the language barrier, then the whole arena is open to you. So I would say put great emphasis on Arabic, you have to have writing

to loosen up your hand and writing you can practice the script, right? Then you have reading,

then you have hearing and you have speaking, speaking probably comes last.

But But you try to develop these four areas. And then you know, get into it, and try to get some Arabic speaking person. Somebody can give you some conversation, simple conversations, to start to use the Arabic because the grammar might seem very heavy to simple conversations now how that how that keytab must mocha is me, Abdullah must move who is Moo hoo, Ali. You know, when I enter into anime, you know, just basic things, even you start doing that, you'll know, the difference between you know, Joomla is me and Joomla fairly like a noun sentence and a verbal sentence, you'll notice because you'll be saying it right. That's how children learn.

So, you know, try to get into that, you know, so then you don't have to go to those basic barriers, and then spend that those three months, you know, in Syria somewhere where you can pick up some basic knowledge and then when you have a chance inshallah, go for the, you know, the real knowledge. Yes, for a lot of people, especially sisters, especially younger people, it's really hard to go to Syria, just to get permission to go to Syria. Yeah. And because, well, the excuses, well, you're going to miss school, you have more important things to do here, you should go to summer school. And what about, you know, and after, as they get older? What about work? What about college, things like

that come up. And for the sisters, it's just like, you shouldn't be going alone, kind of thing. So

just as far as that goes, at what is the best way that you've seen among the youth to gain just basic kind of knowledge.

While staying in the same city, one of the problems that we've had in the past is that there haven't been any scholars scholars to go to in the community to sit and learn with.

Like, if you go in a lot of like, even in the city, if you're in one part of the city, there's just nobody there knowledgeable that you can go to, or the people that are knowledgeable, are just so busy, they don't have time for you. So what is the best way best method just to stay in your own city and learn as a younger person? Well, what is happening now is that there are a number of people and organizations who are holding what some people call Dean intensive programs. So these Dean intensives are good, and some of them are held within North America.

Some of them are overseas, check comes the use of and

check and one Wyman American brother graduated from Philadelphia and other people held one in fez, Morocco this summer. And sometimes they held in the Americas in America also, there are also other groups, there are some scholars who came from Saudi Arabia, in Toronto earlier to help this Dota this this type of Tallinn sessions, they did it for like two week period, and you get some good Arabic and basic fick, inside the sessions. So these type of training programs are coming about now you have to be aware, be in contact with people in other parts of America. And, you know, spend some time in another city, I'm sure that many of you have family in the Toronto area, you could go and

stay with somebody or you know, some of the some of these groups offer housing to they have a place to stay. and sisters, if it's done by the group, then sisters can even travel in a Gemma, like say three or four sisters leave from Miami together, along with some brothers and they go to a specific place, then the parents would feel more safe and secure in terms of sanity, because it's done as a group, not one individual doing so. So if it's done as a group activity, that's probably a wise move now, because it is a real fear that the parents have when you go to some of these countries, because there's some funny characters walking around, supposedly Muslims in some of these places, and if you

go there, you know, you really can be in a kind of a dangerous situation. So it is a real honest fear that they have for the safety of the young people going into some of these places.

Like themselves.

know if you could spend a few moments expressing the important importance of brotherhood and sisterhood, especially yesterday, you mentioned you know that it's a mental war now going on against the Muslims with the movies and the and the Islamophobia.

And if you could express how important it would be when things get physical, actual physical attacks against Muslims, how important that brotherhood and sisterhood would be, and maybe some ways and establishing it and not just talking

about it because we talk about it and we do simple things together but really having that companionship and how to develop it and how important it will be. Yeah. Well, you know, of course brotherhood, you know, who is very important in Islam and God Abdullah,

in an authentic hadith says baotou rasulillah. Salam, Allah economists solid, what is the cat one news, they call the Muslim. He said he took the pledge to the Messenger of Allah peace be upon him to establish prayer to establish Zakat giving of the poor do or the charity, and to give sincerity and support and honest advice to every Muslim liquidly Muslim.

Okay, so this nurse naseeha This is a very important concept in Islam, because it involves not only just giving somebody advice, but it means sincerity, sincerity and support.

And a Muslim is supposed to be like a mirror to another Muslim supporter also. And, and so that means that we not only help each other out in the masjid, or at the time of the activities, but even during the week, at any point, you have to be in contact with each other, like a family like this relationship has got to develop, you have emails and whatever set up networks, you know, check on people, if somebody doesn't come to a meeting, then check on that person, why they're not at the meeting.

Right? involve yourself with the mom, somebody in the leadership. So in case there's a problem with the parents, you have somebody even to speak to their parents, all of these things are going to become more and more important as the time goes on, in the environment that we live in. Because there's some dangerous things going on in Toronto. We even had a situation where a young gang

called the Punjabi mafia, the PMS, right? They were Sikhs were out of control.

They wouldn't follow the guru or anybody. They call them Punjabi mafia. And they were big, long pants, lumberjack shirts and ring in the air, big boots. And they were targeting young Muslims. They would beat the young Muslim chasing home and beat him up in front of his house.

Okay, so they came to our youth group. And they knew from this area of Toronto called Scarborough, and they came to our youth group, we were playing basketball. And they said, like, we need some help. But they wanted some of us to go over there to deal with the PMS. But we said well, wait a minute, man. I mean, you know, we can't follow you around as a six zero security service all the time. You have to train yourself. So they develop martial arts courses in the Islamic foundation in Scarborough. And also in todich Masjid is of Taekwondo classes, even we had a window class with sisters got some martial arts too.

And, you know, they defended themselves and then also the Muslims reached out to each other

because the PMS would not touch the Somalis. You know Somalis. Somalis are warriors.

So when the Somalis when they touch one Somali 20 of them came in when the Somalis fight they go all the way Somalis and Afghan Afghanistan

right when Afghans you fight with the Afghan you finished

because they're coming out of a war war torn area right the tough from the mountains. So therefore everybody's now we're all brothers, right? We're all sisters. So so so they began to Muslims began to see each other as the same oma

and the PMS got the message, right, that they mess with somebody who came from Pakistan or India or Ghana, or anywhere, then then they're fighting against all Muslims. And then with some training, then it comes down, then the word got out to the PMS, the message, one of the negative things with the Muslim form their own gang, that was a negative thing, because they went into this gang mentality, like, with the colors of the scarf, or the handkerchief and hats and whatever, you know, they went a little too far in that area.

But still, it showed us the importance of being ready to help other Muslims in other things besides prayer and fasting and, you know, having a speaker or something like that this is regular, this is life now in your life. It's very important. Okay, I think we're coming to a conclusion now. Right? Because I'm gonna have to go somewhere before tonight's program. Any other final questions or comments that you have? inshallah, you know, I pray that Allah subhanaw taala will help you and make you successful in the struggle here and then you can be an example for the other youth. There's a lot of youth that are out to the last. And it does require somebody to have the wisdom to go to

them, to bring them Islam in a practical way.

And you need to talk to this to come open about this and be open with each other.

Those positive elements in the older generation, you know, be in touch with somebody where the moms are leaders who are positive, and you know, and be in touch with them in Sharla and with communications, you can be in touch with the moms and leaders and other parts of the community. Okay, so I want to leave you with with this and ask a lot of mercy upon me and you akula call the other will start for lolly welcome was Salam alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

You can go spend a couple years and then come back and continue the studies. But the work should start from here, you shouldn't wait until you go overseas to start to learn Arabic because sometimes you become overwhelmed

the conditions, the attitudes, and then it's a foreign language so you can become overwhelmed doesn't happen too many brothers went to Medina during my time they were overwhelmed. And language was one of the big barriers, if you break through the language barrier, then the whole arena is open to you. So I would say put great emphasis on Arabic You have to have writing

to loosen up your hand in writing you can practice the script, right then you have reading

then you have hearing and you have speaking speaking probably comes last

but but you try to develop these four areas. And then you know get into it and try to get some Arabic speaking person somebody can give you some conversation simple conversations to start to use the Arabic because the grammar might seem very heavy to simple conversations now how that how that keytab must mooka is me Abdullah must move who is mu Ali? You know, when I enter enter mmm Liga, you know, just basic things, even you start doing that, you know, you'll know the difference between you know, Joomla is me and Joomla fairly like a noun sentence and a verbal sentence you'll notice because you'll be saying it right. That's how children learn.

So, you know, try to get into that, you know, so then you don't have to go to those basic barriers, and then spend that those three months, you know, in Syria somewhere where you can pick up some basic, you know, knowledge and then when you have a chance inshallah go for the real knowledge. Yes, for a lot of people, especially sisters, especially younger people, it's really hard to go to Syria, just to get permission to go to Syria. Yeah. And because, well, the excuses, well, you're going to miss school, you have more important things to do here, you should go to summer school. And what about you know, and after as they get older? What about work? What about college, things like that

come up. And for the sisters is just like you shouldn't be going alone, kind of thing. So

just as far as that goes at what is the best way that you seen among the youth to gain just basic kind of knowledge.

While staying in the same city, one of the problems that we've had in the past is that there haven't been any scholars scholars to go to in the community to sit and learn with.

Like, if you go in a lot of like, even in the city, if you're in one part of the city, there's just nobody there knowledgeable that you can go to, or the people that aren't eligible are just so busy, they don't have time for you. So what is the best way best method just to stay in your own city and learn as a younger person? Well, what is happening now is that there are a number of people and organizations who are holding what some people call Dean intensive programs. So these Deen intensives are good, and some of them are held within North America.

Some of them are overseas. Check Hamza Yusuf and

check Anwar Mohammed American brother graduated from Philadelphia and other people held one in Morocco this summer. And sometimes they held in the America in America also. There are also other groups. There are some scholars who came from Saudi Arabia in Toronto earlier to help this Dota this this type of Tallinn sessions they did it for like two week period and you get some good Arabic and basic inside these sessions. So these type of training programs are coming about now you have to be aware, be in contact with people in other parts of America. And you know, spend some time in another city I'm sure that you know many of you have family in the Toronto area. You could go and stay with

somebody or you know some of the some of these groups offer housing to they have a place to stay. And sisters if it's done by the group. Then sisters can even travel

In Gemma, like say three or four sisters leave from Miami together, along with some brothers and they go to a specific place, then the parents would feel more safe and secure in terms of saying that because it's done as a group, not one individual doing so. So if it's done as a group activity, that's probably a wise move now, because it is a real fear that the parents have when you go to some of these countries, because there's some funny characters walking around, supposedly Muslims in some of these places, and if you go there, you know, you really can be in a kind of a dangerous situation. So it is a real, honest fear that they have for the safety of the young people going into

some of these places.

Like themselves. I just want to know if you could spend a few moments expressing the important importance of brotherhood and sisterhood. Especially yesterday, you mentioned that it's a mental war now going on against the Muslims, with the movies and the Islamophobia.

And if you could express how important it would be when things get physical, actual physical attacks against Muslims, how important that brotherhood and sisterhood would be, and maybe some ways and establishing it, and not just talking about it, because we talk about it and we do simple things together. But really having that companionship and how to develop it and how important it will be. Yeah, well, you know, of course brotherhood, you know, who is very important in Islam and God I have an Abdullah

in an authentic hadith says baotou rasulillah. Salam, Allah economists solid, what is the cat one knows, they call the Muslim. He said he took the pledge, to the Messenger of Allah peace be upon him to establish prayer to establish Zakat giving of the poor do or the charity, and to give sincerity and support and honest advice to every Muslim liquidly Muslim.

Okay, so this nose naseeha This is a very important concept in Islam, because it involves not only just giving somebody advice, but it means sincerity. Sincerely sincerity and support.

And a Muslim is supposed to be like a mirror to another Muslim supporter also. And, and so that means that we not only help each other out in the masjid, or at the time of the activities, but even during the week, at any point, we have to be in contact with each other, like a family like this relationship has got to develop. You have emails and whatever, set up networks, you know, check on people, if somebody doesn't come to a meeting, then check on that person, why they're not at the meeting.

Right? involve yourself with the mom, somebody in leadership. So in case there's a problem with their parents, you have somebody even to speak to their parents, all of these things are going to become more and more important as the time goes on, in the environment that we live in. Because there's some dangerous things going on in Toronto. We even had a situation where a young gang

called panic Punjabi mafia, the PMS, right? They were Sikhs were out of control.

They wouldn't follow the guru or anybody. They call them Punjabi mafia. And they were big, long pants, lumberjack shirts and ringing the ear big boots. And they were targeting young Muslims. They would beat the young Muslim chased him home and beat him up in front of this house.

Okay, so they came to our youth group. And they knew from this area of Toronto called Scarborough, and they came to our youth group, we were playing basketball. And they said, like, we need some help. But they wanted some of us to go over there to deal with the PMS. But we said well, wait a minute, man. I mean, you know, we can't follow you around as a security service all the time. You have to train yourself. So they develop martial arts courses in the Islamic foundation in Scarborough. And also in todich Masjid is of Taekwondo classes even we had a window class with sisters got some martial arts too.

And you know, they defended themselves and then also the Muslims reached out to each other

because the PMS would not touch the Somalis. You know Somalis. Somalis are warriors.

So when the Somalis when they touch one Somali 20 of them came in when the Somalis fight they go all the way Somalis and Afghan Afghanistan

right when Afghans you fight with Afghan you finished

because they're coming out of a war war torn area right the tough from the mountains so therefore everybody's now we're all brothers right? We're all sisters. So so so they began to Muslims began to see each other as the same oma and the PMS got the message, right that they mess with somebody who came from Pakistan or India or Ghana or anywhere, then then they're fighting against all Muslims. And then with some trade

Then it comes down, then the word got out to the PMS. The message, one of the negative things is the Muslim form their own gang. That was a negative thing because they went into this gang mentality, like, with the colors of the scarf, or the handkerchief and hats and whatever, you know, they went a little too far in that area.

But still, it showed us the importance of being ready to help other Muslims and other things besides prayer and fasting and, you know, having a speaker or something like that this is regular, this is life now in your life is very important. Okay, I think we're coming to a conclusion now. Right? Because I'm gonna have to go somewhere before tonight's program. Any other final questions or comments that you have? inshallah, you know, I pray that Allah subhanaw taala will help you and make you successful in the struggle here and that you can be an example for the other youth, there's a lot of youth that are out there, they're lost. And it does require somebody to have the wisdom to go

to them, to bring them Islam in a practical way.

And we need to talk to this to come open about this be open with each other, and those positive elements in the older generation, you know, be in touch with somebody where the moms are leaders who are positive and you know, and be in touch with them. inshallah, and with communications, you can be in touch with the moms and leaders and other parts of the community. Okay, so I want to leave you with with this and ask a lot have mercy upon me and you akula call the other stock for lolly walakum wa salaamu alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh